Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-05-24
COLLECTOR BROOKS
Talks Aboat the Knaetiv-
Hfy ef the Gutter.
4 Fsshla ExPlanat1oa ~ the coH'esssE
Supplemented BY . Feeble ExPEa-
naslca BY Dis Dspaty-Thalsg
Excuses fer Crave 0mlssIsn.

PoHT TowMsRzD, May 2z.--At the r.
quest Of aestiemaa employed 10 she
Oustoms service, tie Pert T0wnaend
correspondent Of ths PcaT IRxK1La-
oxEcER yesterday called apon ColiectoE
Qainey A. Brooks IN order 10 receive
from him q statsmena 10 regard % the
failure Of toe Ieyence cutter Oliver VOL
eott 10 20 70 toe asrsstsnce Of etc 81
Stephen when the disaster 10 thai YES
eel vas reported.
Colleetog Brooks opened the eonveF-
seti0B By demanding tue source from
which the Posx-IMTKLLGSEMcKR had Oh.
tanned ifs knowiedse u The ease. Hav-
Ina b@an assured 10 the eject thst no
spec 81 kno Eieaee Of she case was mere .
saFy and that the PosT-iKTKLLEoExoEn
merely knew. IN common with al clti-
Eens, tAat the cutter should have en-
deavafed 20 render aasistanee 20 the
ill-fated ship and did not do 90, the Col.
ieetoT proceeded:
Il have never been cfEisiaIIy nosiasd
thas the Dc. Stephen IL or has been 10
want Of assistance"
"AEe yoa Bos aware that the Poaf-IH-
TELLI0EHczR come SIX weeks ago pub
fishe6 sn several issues, interviews wfth
the cfioaFs Of the bark Enooh Talbot,
20 tbs eject that ship vas seen of the
Gaps IN diatFeasf Do ron net also
know that the fast Of the loss Of the 81.
stsphen has been generally sesepsedl y
"Yea," resumed MF. Brooks, II have
some recollection Of the matter, has I
vas absent at the Tins. When I re-
turned | supposed THAI Captain Glover
bad given the matter bic attention"
your Deputy wss here, vas be notT'
Yes. bat ! have no excuse 70 offer
for him."
Mr.. Harmed. Deputy Collector Of Cas-
tens, vas then called and 10 support
bic aotioss read the follswine clsnae
froan the oassonns Regulations Of 1874,
Article Sol; "Reyenue vessels are never
20 Be used IN towing except ia cases Of
distress and then oalv when no other
assistance Is al hand"
"You understand" explained Mr..
Harmed. ''that should the cutter hays
been despatched to the aid ~ the shir
she might have inieFfeFed With the bus
iueas OF the tue companies, and would
clearly, should that have been the cas-
have willful,y violated the Regulations. y
How about she crew Of the barb
. Austria" asked the correspond aut
which was wrecked on January 80sh
on FlAttsEy Rocks, remaining there fol
nine days Ia want Of assistance befoFs
the Woieott vent down and invest.
gated The weather surely could moi
have been bad enough 20 DELAY her de.
paFsuse. while The steamer Dispatel
was making regular semi weekly trips
within ten miles Of the point where Tue
wreck occurred"
tine Mexico reported the affAlr on
February lst, al night. aud 40 eOuse.
qnently could not act that evening. q
said Mr.. Harmed. II do NOT know why
she vas 80 long In proceeding 10 Fiat.
teFv Rocks
Collector Brooks did not DENY that IA
posaessfd the authority to order ths
Moleott en public business TO any poinI
vttbin bis jurisdiction, bot he ihouohs
that Captain Glover ought 20 look emf
for wrecks and such things and aasuoe
the FeepoI sibility Of assisting them.
when the bark Austria vas reported
ashore by the Mexico on FebFuarv fst
the OllveF Wolc0tt VAS lying Ia iha
stream. On February Sd, ahe proceed q
70 Angeloe, when ID vas Aseertainee
that she did not have &C ifiaient feel 10
ptoes ed to the Cape. Returnlng ID
Seattle. her coal bunkers were replen-
lshsd, and on February 9Th she passed
Fort Angeles and arrived that
niRht vheTe che anchored Of
klatteFy Rocks. Captain DtLano OF
the III fated bark, had abandoned All
nope OF succoF from being reported by
tne Mexico. The weather was intenEely
cold. He left derinR a heavy storm on
February 7th for Neah Bay, arriving
next day fatieufd and all she worse FOR
The rough journey. He arrived al Port
townsend finally. The cutter had re
turned no report Of the fact Of finding
ths eftw, vhen Captain Delauo took
passaee bach 20 FlaiteFy Rseks, where
tne Weioott was Of considerable service
In rendering assistance.